This course will examine the history and development of hip-hop culture, paying special attention to its social, cultural, racial, political and spiritual dimensions. We will probe the origins of hip-hop culture in political crisis and racial conflict, charting its evolution as a form of collective self-expression among black and brown youth. The course will engage the internal debates in rap music – i.e., underground versus commercial rap, gangsta vs. conscious rap – as well as the class tensions within hip-hop. The course will also examine the political controversies around hip-hop culture, including rap music’s misogyny and homophobia, and the attempt of politicians and other authority figures to suppress its public consumption and expression. Finally, we will explore the interracial and global dimensions of hip-hop culture and probe the implications of its consumption by white Americans and citizens around the world.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: None

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